Garou: Herald of the Mark
by HeatWave
Summary: On a mission to collect the stolen Scrolls of Immortality, Terry could have had no idea of the drastic changes in his life ahead.
1. Towering Implications

The building was easily the tallest in Southtown, towering over the others by at least two hundred feet or more. It was truly an intimidating sight to the majority of the population; not so much for its height, but for what everyone knew went on inside. It was here, the rumors indicated, that the crime syndicate controlled by the infamous Geese Howard ruled the city with an iron hand. Nothing was outside of his reach within this town, but he wasn't satisfied with mere control of a single city.

Geese stared outside the window of his suite, located at the corner of the topmost floor. With his newly acquired assets nothing would be able to stand in his way. He relished the thought as his eyes panned towards the Scrolls of Immortality in his hand. The Jin twins hadn't even realized what had happened before it was too late. It was simple enough to twist the rumors and the stories. He had caused enough confusion with everyone fighting each other for control of the scrolls that its true guardians were kept amply busy. At the height of the confusion it was easy to make off with them himself. By the time anyone realized that they were gone, he was already safe within his tower. The ultimate power of the world was in his grasp. He hefted the scrolls once again. Both fit easily into his palm.

_ It truly is unwise that such power be contained in something so small, _he silently mused to himself. He reached for the strings that held the first scroll together. _I guess I'll just have to change that…_

_

* * *

_

Terry Bogard gazed up at the building before him. This had been where it had all started. The death of his adoptive father, the overrunning of Southtown, and Geese's first defeat at his own hands had all come to pass here. It was ironic that he would be brought here yet again to fight his father's killer. Terry only hoped there was still time. Geese had had more than enough opportunity to gain the power that the scrolls had to give. The fight could very well end differently now, but he was determined to erase the ghosts of the past. _This time, Geese_, he vowed to himself, _I won't make the same mistake._

"Terry, you ready?" Andy stood beside his brother, full of fire as usual. Terry could almost see him twitching at the thought of finally being able to confront Geese himself. "Scroll power or not, he can't defeat us both. We'll stop him."

"Yeah, besides, lady luck's on our side today." Joe Higashi came up from behind them and placed his arms around the both of them. Despite his flippant attitude Terry could still tell that the seasoned warrior was tense. "After they lost control of the scrolls, the Jin twins weren't so hard to take down, and if Hon-Fu hadn't caught up with us, we might still be fighting that Yamazaki freak. Considering what we've been through these last few weeks, we're still pretty rested and ready."

Terry turned to Joe, lightly pushing his arm off his shoulder. "You know Joe, you don't have to do this. This _is_ our fight after all."

Joe feigned mock offence. "Terry, I'm hurt; after all we've been through together?"

Andy laughed at the comment. "I'd have thought that you've received enough broken bones following us around. Surely you must be tired of it all by now."

"Hey!" Joe turned his scorn on Andy. "You of all people should know that I'm not one to back down from a good fight." Joe replaced his arms at their shoulders, drawing them in a friendly embrace. "We started this thing together, it's only right that we end it together."

"Thanks, Joe."

"You got it." Joe motioned towards the building. "Shall we show Mr. High-and-Mighty that immortality is not something so easily gained?"

"Right." Terry faced the tower once more, feeling better in spite of himself as he and his companions approached the massive structure; but before either of them could enter it the front doors burst open and a svelte, yet well built young woman strolled outside; a striking woman with short blond hair dressed in a red turtleneck tank top and a pair of combat boots. She looked a little ruffled, but otherwise no worse for wear as she idly, almost dismissively, made her way towards the group.

"Mary! What are you doing here!" Terry asked, quite surprised at the young woman's appearance, considering the circumstances.

"Oh, just waving my authority around," she said giving Terry a playful wink.

"You shouldn't have come here alone, Mary, you might have been seriously hurt!"

"Hurt?" Her lighthearted attitude turned nigh vicious as she turned on the bigger man. "You don't think I can take care of myself?" She accused him, shoving a finger roughly against his chest. "I know more of the criminal system than any other person in this city. I can easily make my way around the underworld when I have to, so don't tell _me_ that it's too dangerous, hun."

Terry raised his hands in defeat, putting on the most submissive face that he could. "Alright, you win, I'm sorry. I just… worry too much, that's all."

Mary's face softened and she gave him a coy smile. "I forgive you," she said, placing a quick peck on his cheek. She stood back and looked at the three of them. "You'll find most of the security on the bottom floors out of commission, and most of the daytime workers have already gone home for the night, so you shouldn't have too much trouble getting in. Still the upper levels and any personal security you'll have to deal with yourselves."

"Wow, that'll make our job a whole lot easier," Joe said. "I told you our luck would hold out."

"We're not in the black yet, Joe," Andy admonished. "Anything could still happen. It's not over 'til it's over."

"Yeah, yeah, you're always so high-strung, Andy. Just like that one time when…"

Terry left the two to bicker. It was just another game for them. Instead he turned to Mary. "Thanks Mary, you've really helped us out."

She shrugged. "Hey, it was all kinda my fault to begin with. It's the least I could do. Just come back alive, Terry. I don't know what kind of power was in those scrolls, but I know your heart, I only hope it's enough."

"We won't fail. We haven't yet."

"You'd better not."

"Hey, with a girl like you waiting for me, you'd better believe I'm coming back. If I didn't, you'd kill me."

She laughed despite it all, then looked up at him. "I know this is a personal thing, and I know you're probably the only one who can stop him now. I trust you enough to finish this but don't think that it will be easy for me to just sit out here and wait for you. Be careful, Terry."

He could only give her a reassuring nod, and before his emotions got the best of him he promptly turned to his companions, who were still bickering. "Andy, Joe," he interrupted. "Let's go."

The three walked towards the building and disappeared inside, leaving Mary alone with her fears and hopes.

* * *

"Wow, she wasn't kidding, this place is empty." Joe's voice echoed throughout the massive hallways as they made their way towards the elevators. Though occasionally they would pass a guard or two with severely broken appendages, the halls were more or less vacant. "That girl sure knows how to do her job."

"It's been her life just as much as it's been ours." Terry interjected. "Even more so, it's her job." They reached the elevator without incident and began ascending. Terry thought once again on the circumstance that had brought the three of them together in the first place. The things that had happened since then had made his life much more interesting than he had imagined it could be. After knocking Geese out of this very same tower at the end of the first King of Fighters tournament, Terry had instantly become a celebrity throughout the fighting world. This had lead to many challengers and ultimately brought him to his first encounter with Wolfgang Krauser.

He remembered that first fight, and how Krauser had very nearly killed him; sparing him at the last second. Krauser had used that moment to announce his hosting of the second King of Fighters tournament, this time throughout the world. Though Terry knew that Krauser was much more powerful than himself, he wasn't going to stand still for such an opportunity. He met a lot of new friends during that time, though he never thought that he would fight the German noble once more; but when the dust had settled he was the only one left standing to challenge the fighting Kaiser. Terry had surprised even himself in the concluding match, wearing down and ultimately overpowering the giant of a man in his home castle in Germany.

After reaffirming his position as the King of Fighters a second time he figured he could relax for a while, but only a few years had passed when rumors of scrolls of immense power began to circulate the city. Terry would have passed it off as insignificant had it not been for the whispered name that Geese himself was searching for them. He felt it was impossible; he had seen the crime lord fall off the tower with his own eyes, but it was just too dangerous to ignore.

Terry remembered the first time that he had met Mary. He'd made such a horrible attempt at a first impression that she mistook him as an agent for the other side. She had very nearly ripped the joints from his sockets in the ensuing melee; it took him a while to reassure her that he was indeed one of the good guys. He had to laugh at himself. Despite his fighting title and apparent good looks, he still wasn't the most comfortable person around the womenfolk. Still, she accepted his help in her investigation and since then they had found themselves quite compatible. He knew he couldn't have been luckier.

Still ascending in the interior elevator, his thoughts were interrupted as a loud grating noise filled the small room and the box jarred to a halt.

"Not good," Joe said.

"Stand back." Terry pushed him out of the way before balling his fist and driving it straight into the elevator doors. His fist swirled with visible blue energy as he slammed it into the metal surface, blowing half the door out of its frame. All three quickly jumped out as the elevator suddenly plunged into the darkness of the shaft. _Good thing that we weren't stuck between floors, or I might not have been able to get the door open._

"Looks like the ride stops here boys." Joe wasn't about to let an opportunity for a snappy comment slide, no matter how dire the situation.

"Hey, hey,_ hey!_ The fun's jus beginnin'." With its thick British drawl and nasty sharpness, the voice was instantly recognizable. All three turned to see Billy Kane, familiar leather jacket on his back and cane pole in hand, barring their way further.

Joe scoffed. "Seriously, Billy, you'd have your hands full with just one of us. Do you honestly think that you can take all three of us?"

Billy smirked. "I don' need t' beat you. Merely need t' slow ya down some. Once our time's up, the boss'll take care o' you good."

"We don't have time for this," Terry growled. "Andy, Joe, let's plow through this can-head and get moving.

"Don' think it'll be tha' easy, Bogard." In a complicated series of maneuvers, Billy began spinning his staff wildly around him, striking several parts of the hallway in his vicinity. Each time the staff made contact the piece of wall or furniture burst into flame, effectively creating a wall of fire that cut the room off from the stairwell. "I don' plan on lettin' you get past me all that quickly."

Terry looked at Joe and Andy, each nodded in turn, not even needing to ask what he had planned. They split up, effectively surrounding the lone Billy. He kept his back to the flames, keeping them from getting behind him. Through the confident façade, a single bead of sweat broke out on his forehead that wasn't due to the heat.

_Billy boy, the things you do for tha' Howard freak. There's no use waitin' for 'em to attack me. If I live through this, I'm goin' back t' England. _With that final thought, he lunged forward at the middle man, Terry, swinging his staff in a downward arc at his foe. Terry didn't even bother to block, but merely sidestepped as the staff slammed into the ground, then using the break he deftly rolled past Billy, jumping back just in time as Billy swept his cane behind him in a horizontal slash. Terry got to his feet and was rejoined by Andy and Joe, who had merely looped behind the two as they sparred. The three now stood between Billy and his wall of flame, and Terry couldn't help but laugh.

"You three plan t' play with me? Fine, it's your own time you're wastin'."

"Well, then, I guess we should quit 'screwing' around and finish you off." Joe cocked his fist in a ready position, which began to glow as he concentrated on it. "Screw…" as he brought his fist up to finish the attack, he quickly spun around to unleash the attack behind them, "…_Upper!" _The hurricane force winds swept down the hallway, instantly extinguishing the flames that sealed the room, leaving the hallway passable, albeit structurally unsound, but now was not the time to worry about commercial safety. Billy merely stood there, not quite realizing that he had just been played.

"Well, we got past you, Billy. You'd better hope now that we kill Geese after all, 'cause I don't imagine he'll be very pleased with you after this."

"I don' think so!" Billy screeched as he jumped once again towards the three combatants.

"Slash Kick!" The sensation of Joe's heel against Billy's gut at high velocity was none to pleasant for the Englishman, and he doubled over as the force of the kick sent him back to his starting position. Joe stood over him defiantly. "Terry, Andy, you two go on ahead. Let me take care of this."

"You sure, Joe?" Andy asked. While he was more than confident in Joe's fighting ability, he knew full well that Billy was not one to take lightly; the British fighter was undeniably skilled, and was well known to fight dirty.

"I'm sure. You two have to stop Geese. We can't afford this guy coming in behind us to help him out. I'll keep him busy here."

"But…" Terry interrupted Andy's complaint, grabbing his brother's arm and jerking him down the hall.

"C'mon. The structure here might not last much longer. Joe can take care of himself."

Andy nodded and matched pace with his brother as they sprinted off down the hallway, leaving Joe and Billy to settle their own differences.

* * *

Joe glanced back as the brothers disappeared around a corner before turning his full attention to Billy, who was slowly getting back to his feet.

"Was that enough of a demonstration, or do I have to show you more of this martial arts goodness?"

"You caught me by the quick, lady, but don't think I'll let it happen again. You've made a big mistake in lettin' your friends leave you alone wit' me. Oh yeah, I've got a score to settle wit' you."

"What are you talking abou…"

"Don't try to play coy wit' me, Higashi! You wanna learn th' hard way? Lemme Teach'ya!" Billy charged, jabbing his staff forward and catching Joe full in the chest as he did so. Not wasting a moment, he forcefully attacked the reeling kick-boxer, swinging his staff over his head and around, landing a heavy blow to the other's side. Joe was knocked back onto a nearby table and barely managed to roll backwards off the tabletop as the red pole struck the flat surface, breaking the table in two.

"Fine, let's get jiggy with it!" Leaping up over the table's remains, Joe spun around and brought his heel downward with such force that it seemed to be glowing with friction from the air. "Gold Heel!"

Billy raised his hands and caught the oncoming leg square in the middle of his staff. Immediately he separated its three segments; wrapping the outer two sections together and trapping the leg tightly within his grip, he used Joe's own momentum to swing him around, letting go at the right moment to send Joe careening towards the nearest wall. The ensuing contact was solid.

Joe was slightly dazed He shook his head several times before the stars finally began to fade. _Ouch… concrete and I do _not_ mix._

"That'll teach you to go snoopin' around wit' _my_ sister!"

Joe looked at the other man, blinking absently. I took a moment for the comment to register fully. "_…Wait a minute, how did _he_ know about _that_?_

"Tha's right! I's known about you for a while now. Wuz jus' lookin' for a moment t' give you my blessing. No better time than now I guess. In case you were wondrin', I don't approve."

Joe rubbed his sore head. "I think she's old enough to decide that, bub."

"So blame an older brother."

Joe grinned. "I don't blame you. Imagine I'd do something similar if the circumstance was reversed," he regained his composure, "…but neither will I let you dictate what I can and can not do!" With a cry he took the fight to his opponent, letting his Muy-Tai instincts kick in and fighting Billy his own way. With a series of quick jabs he initiated his dynamite punch technique, keeping Billy on the defensive until he finished with a low sweeping kick at his opponent's shins. Billy moved to block the attack, but was surprised when Joe planted the offending foot early, using it as a pivot to swing himself around backward as he brought his other foot to bear on Billy's unprotected side.

"Slash Kick!"

The slashing roundhouse kick landed heavily across Billy's face, knocking his trademark bandana off his forehead and sending him to the floor.

"See? Is it no wonder she likes me? Now she don't have to be afraid of her big bad brudder anymo'," Joe said mockingly.

"I won't have my sister wastin' her life with some punk like you! I love her too much to let tha' happen!"

"Well, you'd better just get used to the idea, 'cause_ I_ love her too much to let her brother get in the way!"

"I'll show _you_ 'gettin' in the way'!" Billy screamed as he charged Joe. "Go ta _hell_!" Billy extended his staff threefold, swinging it in an upward arc as one would swing a baseball bat. The staff burst into flame as it came at him, causing Joe's last minute block attempt to become a last minute dodge attempt which he ultimately failed. The pole caught him in the ribcage, throwing him into the air as Billy brought it around; finishing the attack with a downward swing that left Joe bruised, burned, and covered in rubble. Joe's attempt to get back to his feet was interrupted as Billy slammed his foot down on the other's back, jabbing the stave into the back of his neck.

"Y'see…if you're dead, she won' have no choice but to find someone else."

"Billy, no!"

Joe's eyes snapped open as the voice registered. _Lilly!_

Billy was equally surprised. "What th… Lilly! I thought I told you t' wait in the loo."

Lilly Kane's eyes revealed a fierce anger. "Billy, that's not fair! You're always like this. Every time I find a decent boyfriend you always have to chase him away! Do you plan on controlling my entire life?"

Billy was taken aback. "Lilly… I didn't mean to…"

"Of course you didn't mean to, you never mean to. I've been perfectly happy with Joe, he's a true gentleman and he treats me like a true lady, unlike a certain brother that I know of."

"Hey… I've treated you as well as any brother could have."

Lilly ignored him. "…but just because you and he have one single difference of opinion…"

_ That's a mild way of putting it, _Joe thought to himself.

"…you think you have every right to mark him off as worthless and leave me with another broken heart! Well I've had enough, now listen to me…!"

"Yeah, Billy, listen to her!" Joe had been slowly buying his time, and now he twisted; bringing his left leg up and around and knocking Billy off his back. Once the dead weight was gone, he leapt to his feet, ready to continue the assault.

"Joe!" The voice of a horrified Lilly stopped him in his tracks. He looked over to see her astonishment quickly turn to anger. "Just because I was defending you doesn't give you permission to hit my brother! I'm not going to stand here and watch the two of you fight each other."

"Well, he started it!"

"Bull!" Billy countered. "If you three punks'd leave well enough alone we wouldn't be havin' this li'l problem now would we?"

"Oh, yeah? We're supposed to just sit back and watch as that boss of yours makes his hostile takeover bid for the city? No way I'm gonna do that you evil sonuva…"

Lilly could only watch helplessly as the conversation deteriorated from that point until once more blows were being thrown. Despite her repeated attempts to keep them apart, they could no more refrain from fighting than they could refrain from drinking or sleeping. She knelt in hopelessness and cried as the two men she loved most continued to beat each other senseless across the room, a slow lesson being learned that old hatreds die hard and young loves must endure.

* * *

Terry and Andy sprinted up the stairs towards the VIP Suite, moving as fast as they could towards what could inevitably be their doom. Still, Andy's thoughts could not help but linger on his friend down below.

"Are you sure it was such a good idea to leave him there alone?"

"Joe will be fine, Andy. You can't let that distract you. He's got more than enough experience and talent to keep Billy at bay."

"I know you're right, but still, I'd feel safer to have him at my side."

"I don't disagree with you there, but this is our fight, and we have no right to drag him into this and possibly get him killed."

"You're right, this _is_ our fight."

"You better believe it." They stopped outside what they knew to be the final door. "Are you ready to finish it?"

"We'll fight as one… as brothers!" Clasping hands the brothers braced themselves for whatever might be behind the door, then, after a brief respite, the simultaneously kicked it down and strolled into the room. It seemed empty for the most part, but otherwise not much unlike any other suite, notwithstanding being much more spacious. Silk curtains hung around the walls and windows and the furniture was elaborate and detailed. One end of the room lead into a wooden balcony that looked out from the roof of the building onto the streets below which was likewise elaborately adorned with wooden statues and railings _It hasn't changed much,_ Terry noted. _I guess he didn't have much time to redecorate while in hiding._

The brother's eyes crossed the room at the same time, instantly recognizing the figure that stood there and stared back at them. Geese was waiting.

"You Bogards have always been persistent. That is one trait of your family that I will not miss."

"Geese!" Terry growled, raising one of his fists to eye level in challenge, "I'm not going to let you win!"

"Ha! As if you had a choice. You can't possibly hope to stop me now, Terry. I have gained more power than you could possibly imagine. If you give up now, I _might_ spare the lives of you and your friends."

"Forget it, Geese. Your reign ends now! Power Wave!"

"Hishou-Ken!"

The brother's twin attacks blazed across the room and slipped easily through empty space, surprising the both of them. Geese stood a few meters from his original position, neither of them had seen him move.

"You see how futile it is now. You can attack me all day, and you won't get anywhere. I should use you to test my new abilities, but seeing the Bogard brothers in all their hatred utterly struck down is just too much to resist. Come at me if you dare!"

Andy was only too willing to oblige, and before Terry could react he had charged at Geese, ready to give everything that he had to bring him down. Terry swore under his breath.

_No! Blast it, Andy, we have to work together on this!_ But it was too late. Geese deftly avoided Andy's initial attacks and countered with a series of blows of his own. Andy took the hits defiantly but Terry wasn't about to sit around and watch his brother be beaten like a rag doll. "Burn Knuckle!"

Geese saw it coming. At the last minute he ducked underneath Terry's blow, grabbing his forearm as he went and flinging Terry across the room. In the same fluid motion he swung his arms around himself, charging his own energy and preparing to blast Andy as he was also grasped in an invisible grip and inexplicably flung up over Geese's head.

Terry, however, was not about to let it happen. Quickly pivoting around he hit the wall feet first and immediately launched himself back towards his opponent. He landed behind Geese in time to jump towards him once more, attacking at an upward angle.

Geese again dodged the strike, but had been forced to interrupt his own in the process, sparing Andy the worst of his Shinkuu Nage attack. He instead landed heavily across the room, though no worse for wear.

Terry looked over as his brother got back to his feet and readied himself again. _He's trying to keep us apart,_ he realized. His brother had never before fought Geese directly, and the crime lord seemed to be aware of that. Andy's unfamiliarity with Geese's technique and Geese's newly acquired power was not working in their favor. If they didn't shape up and start working together as brothers they would not survive this encounter. _He was powerful to begin with, but he's gotten a lot faster. Still, if we synch our attacks, we just might get through his defense. _He only hoped Andy would see that as well.

"What's the matter, Bogards? Are you a little hesitant now that you've gotten a taste of my power?"

"I don't care _how _much power you've acquired, Geese," Terry shot back. "You cannot win on ambition alone."

"Words do so little to express the truth," Geese responded, raising his arms in an open invitation. "Show me!"

Terry gripped his cap and set if firmly on his head. If it was action that he wanted, it was action that he was going to get. He charged Geese and used his Fire Kick, sliding across the ground at his enemy's feet. Geese nimbly hopped over the attack but Terry cancelled into the Rising Tackle as he did so, leaping upward feet first at where Geese now stood helpless in mid-air. But all did not go according to plan. Geese shifted his weight, almost defying the laws of physics as he avoided the oncoming attack to once again grab onto Terry's protruding limb and swing him around. Terry suddenly saw the floor rapidly approaching his head.

"Chou-Reppadan!"

Andy's feet slammed into Geese's chest, causing him to loose both his momentum and his grip on Terry's leg. Instead of hitting the ground, Terry found himself flying across the room. Andy had gotten the message! It was clear that Geese was not used to fighting more than one person at time, and if Andy was unfamiliar with Geese's technique, the same held true for the crime lord himself. It was an advantage they had to use for as long as possible.

Terry managed to recover enough to land well, albeit awkwardly, and avoid any broken limbs. Geese had likewise recovered, and looked none too happy that one of them had actually managed to land a hit.

"Hmm… so you're going to do this the hard way then?" he glowered. "Very well, I'll show you the full extent of the power of the scrolls!"

* * *

Joe, meanwhile, had his hands full of an angry brother. Billy was only wearing him down and he was using everything he had to keep away from that cane pole. Blocking Billy's attacks was quickly ceasing to become an option as the bruises accumulated, so he concentrated on keeping him on the defensive.

"C'mon! You call y'self a champion? I'll have you givin' me that belt o' yours," Billy taunted, whirling his staff around him to keep the enemy at bay.

Ducking under the cane, Joe jumped back for a brief respite, cocking his arm and sending two blasts of air with his Hurricane Uppercut attack. Billy had been so busy trying to press his attack that he was surprised as the hurricane wind came at him, moving so fast that when it hit him it might as well have been a brick wall. As soon as Joe saw the whirls connect he leapt forward, bringing his heel down hard on Billy's left shoulder. Billy grunted under the assault, but chose not to resist it; he fell with the blow, following it to the ground and using his momentum to roll clear, swinging his staff outward as his did so to ward off the attacking Joe.

Joe, on the other hand, didn't follow up. He knew that he had connected solidly. Billy would not be able to use that arm fully for a while. A small smile played across his features as Billy got back to his feet, notably hurt. Nevertheless, he wasted no time in continuing the battle, determined to see the object of his anger beaten as his feet.

Joe took it in stride, attacking Billy's left side and using his advantage to the fullest.

"Billy, Joe…" Lilly sat on the sidelines, weeping quietly as the battle raged around her. She knew that there was no stopping them, and it tore her apart inside. She wasn't quire sure who she wanted to win. Though she knew that her brother's lifestyle was far from a positive one, and that he had done many evil things in the services of Geese Howard, she also knew that he genuinely loved her, and only wanted the best for her. Joe wasn't exactly the best of examples himself. Ever flashy and boastful the Muy-Tai champion was only more than willing to flaunt his strength and ability; but he also genuinely cared for her and despite it all she knew that he was a good man, willing to do what it took to help the good prevail. It was all she could do to keep from disowning them both and leaving outright, but they were members of a very small group of people that she loved.

Joe, however, was more than ready to write off this match as another victory for him. Billy's attacks were nowhere near as forceful as they had been, and Joe's confidence was growing. Even deflecting the blows was not nearly as painful anymore. Joe decided he could take it if it helped him get in close enough for another hit, but after he blocked the first few strikes a heavy attack from the left surprised him when the outer edge of Billy's staff suddenly bent inward, past his block, and struck him in the kidney. Billy quickly snapped the piece back in place while reversing the momentum of the cane, unhinging the other side and catching Joe in a heavy cross to the face. Jumping in he continued the combo, leaping upward while spinning the stave to knock Joe into the air, only to strike him several more times as they returned to the floor, Joe landing heavily on his back. Billy wasted no time in using the opportunity presented to him. He attempted to smash the end of the pole into Joe's face, but a quick reaction saved the kick-boxer. Grabbing the end of the staff, he pulled on the stick and planted his foot into Billy's gut. Kicking outward he heaved Billy up and over behind him. Billy landed on his back, cane pole overhead. He rolled onto his stomach and jumped back to his feet, prepared to finish the fight.

…but Joe was faster.

"Tiger _Kick_!"

Joe slammed his knee into Billy's gut with all the force he could muster and an immense feeling of satisfaction spread over him as he felt a few ribs crack under the assault. That was it, as far as he was concerned. It would be suicide for Billy to continue. With an injured shoulder and a damaged ribcage Billy would be about as helpless against Joe as a ten year old girl.

"Give it up, Billy. You can't possibly win now. There's no more in this for you but complications."

Billy slowly got to his feet, coughing up droplets of blood as he did so. He knew as well as Joe did that this fight was over. That left only one more option, he'd kill the scum before he could get away.

"Sc-Screw you, Higashi." Billy screeched, his voice taking on a wild edge. "I'm not gonna lose t' you! I'll see you in Hades first!" Bringing his stave over his head, Billy began to spin it wildly, faster and faster until it became nothing but a blur.

_What is he doing? He can't keep that up forever, he's gonna kill himself!_

As if to prove his point, flames suddenly erupted from the ends of Billy's staff, promptly engulfing him and his cane as he continued to spin it furiously.

"_**Hurricane**_…"

_The Hurricane Fire! He… He's trying to kill me!_ Joe knew then that his hand was drawn. It was kill or be killed._ It saddens me to do this, Billy, but you leave me no choice._

Joe cocked back his arm once more, focusing all his energy and might into that one appendage. In the heat of battle he could usually pull this off a lot faster, but the result was a much weaker version. If he wanted to repulse this onslaught, he would need all the force he could gather. When he felt ready, he stepped forward, ready to unleash a tornado of vast proportions.

"Screw UPPE-"

"Joe, _don't!_ You'll kill him!" Lilly ran towards him, latching onto Joe's arm as he brought it forward.

_No! Lilly! I can't stop it!_

With or without his consent his arm swung upward unleashing the fury of the wind held within. Lilly was the first victim. Even at the edge of the storm, the force was enough that she was immediately torn from her grip on Joe's arm. The wind hurled her behind Joe with such strength as to send her flying clear across the room. Joe never saw where she landed.

Billy, however, did.

The sight of his sister being tossed like paper in the wind was horrifying enough, but Billy's world froze outright as he saw his little sister slam against a concrete wall and hang limply before slowly sliding to the ground, leaving a visible indentation and a small trail of blood as she did so. All pain and hatred were forgotten in that instant. His flames dissipated harmlessly around him and his mind went into automatic. His only urge was to reach out and protect his little sister. He dropped his staff and started towards her, gaining a full two steps of ground before remembering that a very dangerous object separated him from her; but by then it was far too late.

Joe's screw attack was upon him before he could react. Billy larger frame was not nearly as light as his sister's, and as such it was not flung aside so easily. Instead the vortex hefted him bodily up into the air, battering his already weakened frame with tables and chairs and several other objects that it had acquired in transit. It then smashed him headfirst into the ceiling and tossed him aside. Its mission virtually accomplished, the whirlwind continued to lay waste to the room, throwing anything and everything into disarray before ultimately exhausting itself. When the dust finally settled, both Kanes lay motionless on the floor.

Joe stood frozen in place, unsure how to react before dropping to his knees in despair and covering his face with both hands.

"Wh…what have I done?"


	2. The Road to Final Victory

Andy and Terry were crouched against the wall, breathing heavily. Both combatants were rapidly approaching their limit, but Geese only appeared mildly fatigued. Both of them had given their best effort; in fact Terry had never seen his brother fight better. Anyone watching the match wouldn't have given the advantage to either side, but the real consequences are not always the visible ones. Geese was hitting them much harder than they could reciprocate, and was not wearing down nearly as fast as they were.

"Why do you bother exerting such energy, you cannot hope to defeat me. I commend your efforts, but rest assured that that I will lose no sleep over your deaths. In fact, I'll sleep easier knowing now that the last two thorns in my side in this town are no longer a viable threat."

"You sadistic creep, we're not done yet!" Andy shot back.

"Hmph… denying the inevitable. Look at yourselves. In your mortal state you have reached your limits. I, however, have transcended mortality. I feel no pain, no fatigue… all that you have done has been in vain. In the end I will exterminate you like the pests that you are."

With a cry Andy shot forward, moving at a blinding pace towards his adversary. "Never! I'll _never_ give you the satisfaction of winning this war!"

"Andy, no!"

So fast was Andy's assault that he seemed no more than a blur, flying towards Geese with murder in his eyes. Geese took it all in stride.

"You fool…" he muttered. Then Andy was upon him, elbow extended and braced as he threw himself at his enemy.

"Zan-ei Ken!"

…but the blow never made contact. Geese laughed as he held out his hand, letting Andy slam into it neck first. Andy, too stunned to even try to breathe, could only stare as Geese glared into his eyes.

"…you just did." Geese almost leisurely tossed him straight up into the air while bringing his hands down and around in a circular motion preparing his assault. Terry watched as an evil smile spread over Geese's face. He brought his hands together as Andy fell before him and finished his Holy Gates technique, using both hands to inflict a heavy blow that sent Andy on a deadly path towards a nearby window. Moving as fast as he could, Terry threw himself on an intercept vector, catching his brother just before he was sent crashing out the window and falling down eighty stories to the street below. Terry landed, cradling his little brother in his arms and calling his name frantically.

"Andy… Andy!"

Andy weakly opened his eyes. His breathing was laborious and irregular, and Terry knew he was in very bad shape. "T… Terry," he managed weakly, "I'm done. Yo… you'll have to fi… finish what you started. D…don't let him destroy everything." With that final thought Andy's eyes closed and his head rolled back into Terry's arms. Terry gently placed the body of his brother on the floor and slowly got to his feet. He turned toward Geese, whose sadistic grin remained planted firmly within his features. Geese pointed towards his opponent, then brought his hand up, palm open in an upward position before closing it suddenly into a tight fist. His intent was clear, he was going to utterly crush his opponent. Terry merely lowered the brim of his cap over his eyes, using the other hand to beckon Geese to come.

Geese was only more than willing to oblige.

With a fatal cry of fury the two masters collided in a final battle for victory.

* * *

Outside the tower Mary could only stand and watch. In all truth, there wasn't much to see. She knew that at least one of the three had made it to the top floor due to the constant flashes in the upper windows of the building, visible even from the ground, but she could no more tell what was going on than anyone else in the city.

"Mary!" The voice behind her came from a young Japanese woman, dressed – albeit scantily – in a heavily customized (or in Mary's opinion; utterly butchered) ninja robe.

"Mai? Where did you come from?"

Mai Shiranui, not one to bother with formalities, simply ignored the question. "Where's Andy?" she asked. Mary could only gaze up at the tower in response. Mai quickly got the message. "You mean they already went after him! Curse that Andy! He promised that I could help them…" her voice trailed off and her eyes went wide. Mary followed her gaze to the entrance of the building where a badly beaten Joe stumbled out of the main doors with two other figures. One slung haphazardly over his shoulder, the other gently cradled in his arms.

The two women ran towards him worriedly. Mai reached him first. Grabbing at his arm she gave him a solid jerk to get his attention and asked frantically, "Joe… Joe, where's Andy! Is he ok?"

Mary none-too-gently shoved Mai off of Joe with a reproving look. "Mai, you're unbelievable!" Turning to Joe she pulled Billy Kane off his back and laid him on the ground. After a brief check she determined that his vital signs, while weak, were constant enough that he was in no immediate danger. She then moved to take Lilly out of his arms, but Joe resisted. "Joe? Joe, what happened?" she asked him gently. When he continued to resist she tried again. "Joe, we have to get her to a hospital!"

"I… I…" Joe began, but he couldn't finish. He sank to his knees, cradling the body of Lilly Kane to his chest; then weakly offered her to Mary. Mary took the lithe form and checked for vital signs.

She found none.

"Mai… _Mai!_" The young woman was gazing at the building, lost in thought as she noticed for the first time the flashes of action that were taking place atop it. "_MAI!"_

She turned distractedly towards Mary at the sound of her name. "Will you _please_ try to stay with me here? I need your help! Here, take her, but be gentle, there may still be time. Follow me!"

"Mary….. what?" Mai asked, puzzled as Mary started for a nearby building.

"She's still warm, which means she could still be revived. If we can find a large enough power supply…" Mary trailed off in her thoughts as the distinct sound of sirens in the distance steadily grew louder. "…or maybe we won't have to." A few seconds later several police cruisers and an ambulance sped around the corner and stationed themselves close to Geese tower. Two young officers stepped out of the first vehicle and Mary instantly recognized Officer Marcus and his trainee, Kevin.

"Marc, get the EMT's over here, we've got two down and may have more!"

"Yes ma'am, right away."

"Mai, get Lilly to that ambulance now!"

"Hai!" Mai answered, slipping into her native Japanese, as she usually did when the situation became tense. With Lilly still in her arms, she immediately sprinted towards the nearest Ambulance while Mary followed. Reaching the vehicle the medical technicians were already prepared for them and instantly took Lilly into their care.

"She's in critical condition; give her the best you can!"

"Don't worry ma'am, if there's any possibility that she'll pull through we'll make sure of it."

"Good. Get the other crew to that big lug in the leather jacket over there. He's pretty banged up, but should make it. Still, he's a possible threat, so I'm sending Officers Mitchell and Rian with you to keep an eye on him."

"We'll take care of it."

"If you can, have an EMT check on Mr. Higashi as well, he may be in need of medical attention." Mary paused for a minute, a quiet nagging feeling in the back of her mind that she had forgotten something. "Oh, right… you'll also find several security personnel in need of medical assistance on the first floor. Get to them when you get the chance,' she added as an afterthought. As the EMT's began to gather Billy's limp form off the ground, she turned towards the two officers who had been the first to arrive on the scene. "Alright, you heard me, I'll need you to follow the technicians and keep an eye on that character. If he should become rowdy or otherwise unruly try to pacify him, but don't let him get away, whatever you do."

"Roger that, ma'am. We'll take care of it."

"Good… by the way, how did you guys know to be here, anyway?"

"An Interpol agent gave us a tip just a few minutes ago… in fact, here he is now."

Mary turned to see a young Chinese man dressed in a red tank-top shirt. A nunchuk weapon hung loosely at his belt.

"Hon!"

Hon Fu strode towards Mary. "Greetings, Agent Ryan. It is nice to see you again," he said with a heavy Chinese accent.

"Well met, Agent Hon. If you have the time to help us here in this investigation, I take it you have found what you were looking for?"

Hon Fu gave her a nod, confirming her assessment. "Indeed, the criminal Ryuji Yamazaki is now in my custody. I will shortly return with him to Hong Kong where he will stand trial for his many crimes. I hope your mission has been met with equal success?"

"Well," Mary said, her eyes slowly turning upwards towards the massive tower, "My mission is still in progress, but with luck we should soon have our results." _I only hope they are favorable._

"I take it Terry's up there?" Agent Marcus asked slyly.

"What do you know abou-" Mary began before quickly catching herself. The officer's tone, however, was enough to send a quick blush burning across her face.

"Come now Miss Ryan, it's common knowledge in the force that you've been working with the legendary Terry Bogard."

"You're stepping out of line, Officer Mitchell! Don't forget I'm still the senior officer here!"

The young official wisely decided to back off. "Yes, ma'am. Sorry, ma'am. I just don't see why, now that you've secured enough physical evidence, we don't just storm the tower and apprehend the maniac."

"Because Geese is no ordinary criminal," Mary explained. "He has enough political backing in the city council and even the judicial sector that mere evidence might not be enough, and storming his tower could lead to disastrous political results."

"Well, if the Bogard brothers kill him, I don't know how we can keep them safe. You know how the chief hates when the average joe takes the law into his own hands."

"I've already taken care of that, for the most part. Let me worry about it."

"If you say so, ma'am. Anyway, looks like our baggage is loaded up, we'll get moving for now, but I'll call in some backup as soon as I can."

"Thanks, Marky." Mary glanced towards Marcus' partner, who was helping the  
EMT's load up their charge. "By the way, how's the training going for the greenie?"

"Kevin? It's going great! He's a natural at this. Got top marks for hand to hand combat in the academy. Might even give _you_ a run for your money. Sometimes I almost _want_ to see some punk resist arrest just so I can watch Kevin take him down." Marc's face was beeming in obvious admiration of his new partner. Mary had to admit she was rather impressed that one so new to the force would earn such an immediate respect from such a seasoned veteran. "Kid's got a heart of gold though," Marcus continued, apparently not quite finished. "Even after only a few days with him I'd trust him with my life and family."

"Glad to hear it, but make sure that you put him through the ropes. Who knows what might happen to this town in the near future. We'll need the best we can get."

"You got it, ma'am. Be careful out here."

Mary gave a slight chuckle. "Don't worry about me, just get going, and make sure Kane doesn't cause you any trouble."

As the vehicles sped from the scene Mary turned back towards the tower. Mai stood there, gazing forlornly at the top where the battle waged. Joe knelt beside her, eyes downcast as he dealt with his own problems. Mary started towards them. _Already this war has claimed too many victims,_ she thought to herself._ Terry, you had better come back from this… this city needs you._

_

* * *

_

Terry, however, was battered, beaten, and bruised; his lungs were screaming from exertion, but he refused to give in. Of course, he realized that if he kept this up much longer, the point would be moot. No matter what he did, Geese had a counter for it. If it wasn't for the fact that the Scrolls of Immortality didn't seem to have taught him any new fighting styles, Terry knew he would have lost long ago. Even with Geese using the style Terry was familiar with, the extreme increase of raw power and speed was more than enough to keep the Lone Wolf on the defensive. There just weren't any openings for Terry to press the attack, and Geese, deciding that the time for words had long since passed, wasn't even giving him a moment's respite to brag about it.

Geese's full roundhouse caught Terry in the side of his neck. Terry grunted in pain but couldn't get away before Geese caught him full in the chest with his Evil Shadow Smasher, performing a rapid three-strike attack and fusing it with his inner power. Terry landed on his back and rolled to his feet, charging his opponent once more he sidestepped Geese's initial blow and spun with his roundhouse hammer-punch. Geese blocked the strike by grabbing Terry's arm, who responded by completing his spin and attacking with his free arm. Geese merely plucked that arm out of the air as well, ceasing Terry's brutal attacks. In a rage of effort Terry threw his arms apart and ducked, loosing Geese's grip. Charging forward, he slammed his shoulder as hard as he could into his opponent's body, sending him almost straight into the air. He followed the attack, attaching one more hit as he launched himself into the air, connecting again with his shoulder.

"Power Dunk!" His fist swirled with power as he brought it down onto empty space. Geese, using Terry's attack against him, had let himself be struck the second time, using the momentum – and Terry himself – as leverage to push off, ending up well above Terry's finishing blow when it came. He now had the advantage as Terry's attack whiffed thin air, and blasted the hapless hero to the ground with his Sawblade Slicer finish.

Terry struck the ground hard and lay still. It was over. He was worn out and beaten, but Geese was still as vibrant as ever. It would take a miracle to stop him now, and they both knew it. Geese stood over Terry, looking as giddy as Terry had ever seen him.

"You see now, Bogard. You were resisting the inevitable from the start. I ought to kill you now, but feel obliged to offer you one last chance of redemption. I've seen how the people revere you. They think you're a hero. They think of you as a friend, and there's no doubt about the fact that you are an extremely competent fighter… one of the best in fact to have beaten me the first time we met.

The look Geese shot the other man was particularly unnerving for Terry. "You could still have that influence, Terry. Work for me, and I will see to it that you have a say in what happens to this town. We could be a great source of success for this place."

Terry couldn't believe what he was hearing. That even now, under these circumstances, Geese had the audacity to attempt to recruit him. "Y… you must take me for a fool, Geese… to think that I would forgive you so easily after all this time."

Geese's unnerving stare darkened visibly."You would be a fool only if you do not accept my offer. Decline me now, and I will see this city and everyone in it burnt to ashes around me after the world is mine."

"…_If_ the world is yours…"

"I am immortal now," Geese shrugged with a small smile. "I'll take as long as I need, but it will be mine eventually."

"You can sit on your offer and rotate, Geese," Terry offered as he slowly got onto one knee. "You'll answer for your own sins, I'll have nothing to do with them."

Such a blatant insult elicited a dangerous look from the powerful crime-lord, but only for a moment before he was once more in complete control. "Ha… one must first die to meet the maker, yet very well. I see that your stubbornness clouds your better judgment." Geese stepped forward to tower over his defeated opponent. "No matter, I will make do without you. I do pity the loss of such talent as yourself, but you had your chance, and your time is up." In an instant he was standing next to the young man. Terry didn't even have time to react.

"Deadly Rave!"

The ensuing flurry of attacks came too quickly, and Terry was helpless against it. Repeatedly, Geese pounded the young man with increasingly forceful blows, and Terry knew it was over. This attack would leave him entirely unable to continue, if it didn't kill him outright. With a final strike Geese sent his opponent flying across the room. Terry could almost feel a wave of heat pass over him in the air, and he knew Geese was preparing for the finishing touch. It would be over before he even hit the floor.

Or so he thought… until then he hit the floor.

When he finally rolled to a stop it took him several moments to clear his head from the massive fireworks display playing about within it. The beating he had received had been substantial, and it had left him dazed. He desperately tried to gather his wits, his efforts fueled by an intense feeling of desperation– the source of which he couldn't immediately remember.

As they finally came together, a startled gasp cut into his thoughts. Opening his eyes Terry was greeted with an astonishing sight as Geese Howard was now also upon his knees, wincing visibly.

Terry shook his head, attempting to dispel what could only be a hallucination, but when he opened his eyes again the scene remained unchanged.

_What the…?_

"It hurts, doesn't it?" At the sound of the voice, both men turned towards the far corner of the room where sat two short and nearly identical figures. One was adorned with an eloquent fiery red, the other with a contrasting royal blue, but both were instantly recognizable. The Jin twins had come calling, and once again they held the Scrolls of Immortality in their hands.

"N...No!" Geese's words came in pained gasps. "How… how did you get in here!"

Chonshu gave them both a sadistic grin. "After we lost the power of the scrolls, the fighters of this city treated us as mere children; a fatal mistake on their part. Your 'friends', Mr. Howard, made it easy enough to get here, though I must say that I am impressed that Mr. Bogard was able to hold your attention enough so that we could get to the scrolls unnoticed, you shall both now pay for crossing us and taking what is rightfully ours!" Chonshu's eyes were burning fiercely now, and he seemed to radiate a sense of power. Terry wearily recalled that it had taken five of the city's best fighters to keep the twins at bay while they held the power of the scrolls. Now, with both him and Geese in such a battered state, he did not doubt that they would be easily disposed of.

…but that wouldn't stop Geese from trying.

"No! Those scrolls are _mine_!" He hissed though his teeth.

"These scrolls were _never_ yours!" Chonrei affirmed, stepping forward beside his brother. "They belong to our ancestors and were never meant for men such as you, men who do not understand their true power!"

"I understand more than enough to know they are the key! I _will_ have them!"

Chonrei glared at the man before him, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "No, you shall not." He was holding the scrolls before him. For an instant, Terry could breifly make out a few of the characters upon the pages. The realization of their ability struck him like a blow to the face, and slowly he felt a small measure of strength return to his limbs. He could not see the entirety of their words – the scrolls true power was only unleashed to those who gained a full possession of them – but even then he understood that Geese would retain some portion of their power once his body recovered from losing the most of it. If he could get a hold of them, even if only for a moment… maybe… just maybe…

Chonrei's gaze turned sternly towards the young Bogard, as if sensing his intentions. Terry quickly averted his eyes, but it was enough to realize that his wounds didn't hurt quite as much as they had before.

"I understand now that these items have no place in this world." Chonrei's eyes softened suddenly and he glanced back at his brother. "I'm sorry, Chonshu, but I see now that there is no other option."

"Brother… what…?" before he could finish his question Chonrei gave a violent jerk and neatly tore the scroll in two. Upon sensing its destruction, the scroll burst into flames.

"No!" The cry came from both Geese and Chonshu as they charged towards the holder of the remaining scrolls. Chonrei easily sidestepped his brother's desperate charge, sending him crashing to the ground as he pulled out the second scroll. Geese's charge was likewise stopped short as a Converse clad heel slammed down upon the back of his head. Terry's Crack Shoot technique had left him standing before Chonrei, but Terry made no move to stop him. Upon receiving and understanding nod from the powerful fighter, Chonrei quickly pulled out the two remaining scrolls and destroyed them before the others could recover. At the loss of the scrolls, he sank to his knees, weakened as he had been when he had lost them the first time. Chonshu was apparently feeling the same affect, as he could only raise his head from the floor where he lay, a look of betrayal upon his face.

"Chonrei… why?"

"It is better this way, Chonshu," Chonrei responded. His body betrayed his pain, but his face was a reflection of peace. "The immortality of the scrolls is but a curse. We would find no rest in this world holding such relics. They had to be destroyed." He gave a sigh of relief as he looked down upon his brother, "We can now be the children that we once were, and live our lives as we should."

Chonshu's face fell once more to the floor as quiet sobs began to emanate from the prone form. Terry watched the two, relief filling his body as he realized that it was over, the danger of the scrolls had passed forever, along with any ambitions they may have given rise to. Chonrei looked up at him, and Terry looked back, a small smile adorning his features. Chonrei smiled back weakly, but then his eyes went wide and he cried out a warning. Terry spun to see Geese standing behind him, murder in his eyes.

"I'll kill you!" he screamed madly. "I'll kill you all!"

Geese's subsequent attack was just as wild as the look in his eyes, but now Terry was able to fully understand the effect the loss of the power of the scrolls had on the man. Even as battered as he was, he was able to keep pace, dodging or blocking the majority of the attacks thrown at him. The blows that got through were far less substantial, and Terry knew that now the two combatants were more or less on equal footing. With the patience of a long tested fighter, he let Geese attack him, luring him in until the right moment.

Had Geese still been on his guard, he would have sensed something amiss, but he was no longer paying attention. His only thought was to destroy the one who had instantly demolished his dreams. His mind was focused entirely on the blue clad figure keeling no more than thirty feet from him. He was barely aware of the man who was keeping him from his target, and he couldn't care less. Again he struck out at the impediment before him, but it almost didn't register that the attack had missed completely. A heavy blow to his abdomen, however, stopped him in his tracks.

Terry quickly followed the lower body gut-punch with a second, continuing the one-two combo into his fierce Power Charge body blow. In a huff, all the oxygen was forcefully removed from Geese's lungs as Terry flowed smoothly into his Power Dunk technique, following his opponent into the air only to slam him back into the ground with a vicious chi infused fist.

Geese crawled back onto his knees, coughing violently. Even so, Terry kept his distance. His body was screaming in protest, having not had the time to properly recover from the earlier beating that a divinely powered Geese had given him. He kept up a solid front, but he knew he had to end this fight quickly while the opportunity was there. He wouldn't last much longer.

His enemy was far less concerned about appearance than he was about results, and right now his only desired results was the complete destruction of everything around him. Geese slowly climbed back to his feet, fighting the impulse to vomit from the blows to his abdomen. The wrath inside him was reaching its peak, and his blood was boiling dangerously. He glared at the figures before him as he slowly brought his hands up to cross them over his chest. Straining with all his might, Geese focused all he could into his final attack, and his arms began to glow with a severe blue power.

Terry knew instantly was he was about to do. "Geese! No! You'll blow out the entire room!"

"I don't care anymore!" Geese shrieked in response. "None of you are leaving here alive!"

Terry took several retreating steps back. He knew that Geese was a ruthless and heartless person, and that he would kill at the drop of a hat if it meant advancing his ambitions, but he also knew that the man was always in control, and he was _never_ suicidal.

The evidence, however, was there. Terry saw it in his opponent's stance, in his face… in his eyes. Geese had been given a taste of real power, of a strength unimaginable– a force entirely incomprehensible to mortal man – but it had been forcibly taken from him. The loss had driven him mad, and Terry was now truly afraid.

Geese was wild with rage and no longer in control. All the years he had spent learning to manipulate and increase his power were useless to him now. His natural restraints were gone, and Terry saw that he would likely kill himself and everyone else in the room with an uncontrolled explosion of raw power. He raised his hands over his head; Terry realized he had to act.

In a desperate attempt to quell the tide the young man threw himself towards his enemy, his fist glowing orange with his own inner force. He slammed the fist into the ground as Geese brought his hands down, thrusting them violently into the floor as well.

"Rising Storm!"

"Power Geyser!"

Almost simultaneously both men released their gathered strength. Geese's attack swirled around him and began to expand violently outward when the geyser erupted beneath him. The sheer power from the older man's technique protected him from the blast, but the force of the geyser drove the brunt of the power upward, slowing its outward expansion. Slowing it, but not stopping it.

In desperation Terry brought his other hand to bear, driving it into the ground as well to create another geyser of pure inner energy. This one, too, collided with Geese's Rising Storm, deflecting it further into the air to blow a hole clean through the ceiling above them.

With the remainder of his strength, Terry hit the ground a third time, creating yet another blast in an attempt to countermand his opponent's attack. No longer able to sustain the effort, Geese was finally overwhelmed, and the third eruption threw him violently from the point of impact, sending him careening towards the outer balcony to land roughly against the wooden railing which cracked and groaned under his weight.

As he leaned heavily against the rails, drained of the remnants of his strength, Geese met Terry's gaze. Terry could see that his eyes were clear once more; the last blow had snapped him out of his mad daze. Geese glowered at him, wanting nothing more than to destroy this constant thorn in his side, but having exhausted their limits the two men could only stare at each other, a thousand words passing unspoken between them.

It was several more moments before a creaking sound behind him finally alerted Geese to the precarious position that he was in. He turned to look over his shoulder, only to find himself staring off the side of the tower at the streets over 800 feet below. Frantically he tried to push himself off the railing and back onto stable ground, but the strain became too much, and the railing gave way. His eyes went wide as he fell, careening over the edge of the edifice of his own construction. Falling, as, he knew, his empire would without him.

The realization had barely struck him when his fall was brought to a jarring halt. Slowly he looked up to see Terry, hand locked firmly around his wrist, straining with the last vestiges of his strength to keep him from gravity's final embrace. Geese was not quite sure how to respond. After all Terry had already let him fall from this very building once before.

"Why… why do you save me, Bogard?"

Terry's words hissed out at his rival through grit teeth. "I came here to stop you, Geese. Not to kill you."

"But what of your revenge… your father?"

Terry winced visibly. He couldn't tell if it was from the strain or from the memory; likely both. "I got my revenge the last time I kicked your ass. Your death isn't my responsibility anymore."

"Hmph," Geese smirked. "And what if I told you that I was not the only one responsible for your father's death?"

"Impossible! I was there! I _saw_ you kill him!"

At this Geese scoffed. "Ha! Jeff Bogard was a fighter even I had come to respect. What you saw was merely a consequence of his own actions."

Terry's eyes narrowed at the man before him. "What's your point, Geese?"

The older man grinned up at his would-be savior with an evil sneer, "Look to Sakazaki!"

For a moment Terry was taken aback at the implication that the well known Kyokugen Karate dojo had a hand in his father's death. A moment was all Geese needed. Using the instant of weakness, Geese yanked his hand out of Terry's grasp. Time seemed to slow down as Terry grabbed at him again, only to clutch empty air. He saw his tormentor fall before him, laughing as he fell, silencing only upon impact with the asphalt eighty stories below. It was an image that would be burned into Terry's memories for the rest of his life.


	3. Unpleasant Consequences

He hated hospitals. They were cold and sterile, filled with colorless rooms and bare walls, and they were much too confining. The last thing a lone wolf like himself wanted was mandatory bed rest, but the nurses had been insistent and stubborn. Terry felt like a lab-rat, stuck full of needles and wrapped in more gauze than he would care to ever see in his life again.

He had suffered worse than he thought, but at the moment he was more worried about Andy, who still hadn't woken up. Well, that and Geese's last words. He hadn't mentioned them to anyone. He barely remembered what had happened after seeing the man plummet to his death. He remembered seeing Mai come charging into the room, with Mary and some medical technicians close behind, but the rest was a haze. Once the adrenalin rush had worn off after that last bout the wounds he'd received finally caught up with him, and he'd nearly fainted right then and there. Then again, he might have, he still wasn't quite sure.

His thoughts were interrupted as the door to his room opened and one of the nurses came in.

"Good morning Mr. Bogard. How are you feeling today?"

Terry stretched his neck and gave himself a once over, moving his sore muscles and joints as much as his bandages would allow. "Not bad, all things considered."

"That's good. The doctor will be in to check up on you in a bit. In the meanwhile, you have a visitor."

At this Terry perked up. While Mary had come to check up on him from time to time, it was far too early for her visit, and as far as he was aware, everyone else who might have made the trip was only a few rooms away.

His question was answered when the mysterious visitor stepped into the room.

"Kim!"

"Hey pal, how are you?"

Terry grinned in spite of himself. "You're a long way from home."

The native Korean smiled down at his friend and shrugged. A South Korean Tae Kwan Do hero, Terry had first met Kaphwan Kim during Krauser's worldwide tournament. They had since become fast friends, though Terry often referred to him using only his last name, finding his first name too difficult to pronounce properly. Kim never seemed to mind, but the last Terry had heard about him he was supposed to be in his dojang back in South Korea.

"I came as soon as Cheng sent me word," Kim explained, "but it appears I wasn't fast enough."

"Crazy old coot didn't need to drag you into this." Terry scoffed.

Kim folded his arms as he looked down at his injured friend "From my point of view it looks like you could have used every bit of help available," he said, matter-of-factly. "I'm a little angry you didn't give me the call yourself."

Terry could only give the other man a half-hazard shrug. "I'm sorry. When word first got out about the scrolls things started happening so fast I guess it just didn't cross my mind."

"Well next time it had better be the _first_ thing that you do. I promise I'll be much more accessible."

Terry smiled at his friend, "I have no doubt. So, how's the family."

Terry could see Kim's chest expand ever so slightly. The man loved to talk about his family.

"Myeng and the boys are still back at home, and are doing well. Those two are turning in a decent pair of fighters themselves. I only hope I live to see the day they surpass me."

"I donno," Terry said in challenge. "You've set a pretty high bar."

"It will happen, my friend," Kim affirmed. "They take to the martial arts like fish to water. Almost as good as they've picked up the English language."

"Giving them language lessons now, huh?"

"I figured it was for the best to do it early, if they're going to be spending time here in the States."

"Here?" Terry asked a little confused. "Intend to do a bit more traveling these days?"

"It's actually something I've been meaning to talk to you about," Kim explained as he pulled a nearby chair to the side of the bed and sat down. "I've been intending to open a branch for my Tae Kwan Do school here in the States. Southtown seems a good a place as any. I wanted to get your opinion before making anything concrete."

"I think it'd be a great idea."

"I thought you would," Kim said, nodding assent, "but we can discuss that later when you're feeling better." He indicated the many bandages that covered his friend. "As it stands, you look like you've been through a train wreck."

Terry leaned back against his pillow with a groan. "Wouldn't be the first time."

"That was your own fault for training on top of a circus car," Kim reminded him. "So what's the final verdict?"

"Five cracked ribs, a fractured forearm, four broken fingers, a torn hamstring, a dislocated shoulder, a broken nose, a twisted ankle, more bruises than I care to count, three kidney stones, two black eyes and a partridge in a pear tree."

"Didn't think street fighting could induce kidney stones."

"You were supposed to have stopped listening by then."

Kim smiled. "At least your sense of humor's intact."

Terry enjoyed a brief bit of light laughter with his friend before the other consequences of recent actions caused his lighthearted mood to fade.

"Andy suffered the worst by far," he continued to explain. "He's been in a coma for the last few days. They say he's been stabilized, but they don't know when he'll come out of it. Mai hasn't left his side since he was admitted.

"Joe's been likewise glued to Kane's little sister's bedside. As far as I can tell he didn't suffer many injuries… at least not physical ones. Rumor is she somehow got in the middle of him and Billy and nearly got herself killed. I don't think he's spoken more than ten words since."

Kim sighed. "It pains me to hear of such suffering because of the evil of the world. I truly wish I could have gotten here on time."

"It would have been nice to have you Kim," Terry agreed, "but after what I've just been through, I'm glad there wasn't anyone else at the top of that tower." Terry's eyes lowered, the vivid imagery of that fateful night still crystal clear in his mind. "Kim I thought I was going to die up there. I thought Andy _had_ died! He was toying with us the whole time. I'm convinced that if anyone else had followed us into that room he would have killed them outright just to spite us."

Kim looked down at his somber friend. "And yet, here you are… battered, but still alive. One can hardly say the same for Geese."

"Luck," was Terry's one word response. "It was the Jin twins' interference that saved us. If they hadn't decided to crash the party our roles would be reversed right now… though I doubt Geese would even have needed any medical attention."

"Ah, yes… the immortals," Kim said thoughtfully. "What became of them?"

Terry sighed, "I have no idea. Mary told me that Mai sprinted up the entire building once Geese hit the ground, but neither of them remembers seeing the Jin twins on the way up."

"Mary?"

"Oh, right… I suppose you two haven't met. She's a freelance detective who's been working closely with the Southtown Police force. We've been working together on the whole 'scrolls' business."

"Hmmm… I seem to be out of the loop a bit," Kim concluded for himself. "Maybe we should start back at square one."

Terry obliged him, giving a brief run-through of everything that had happened since word of the Scrolls of Immortality had begun circulating Southtown up to and including his final battle between him, Andy and Geese. Kim held onto every word, only punctuating the narrative with the occasional question.

"So apparently possessing the scrolls was necessary to obtain their power," Kim said thoughtfully after Terry had explained what had happened to Geese upon their destruction.

"It would seem that way," Terry confirmed. "He could hardly move after the Jin twins recovered them. Of course, we'dve both been screwed had Chonshu just taken them instead of destroying them like he did."

"So what happened then?"

"Geese snapped," Terry told him bluntly. "Tried to take out then entire top half of the building he was so pissed. I only barely managed to contain it, but at that point we were both spent." He paused for a brief moment, trying to recall the scene completely. "Come to think of it, that was probably when the twins beat feet."

Kim nodded. "Makes sense to me. Without the scrolls they were probably spent as well, and I doubt anyone would want to be in the same room with that much power being thrown around."

"Either way, Geese ended up against a weak section of railing and he couldn't get himself away from it in time."

"And that was that, huh?"

"Well… almost." Terry admitted. "I got the crazy notion in my head to try to save the man."

"Really?" Kim said, interested in this unexpected development.

"I tried to catch him before he fell," Terry explained, his mood souring as he remembered that moment, and the brief conversation they had."

"The look on your face tells me there's more to this," Kim said, reading his friend's expression."

Terry shook his head, as if trying to clear it. "I… I don't know. He said something to me then… something that can't possibly be true. Then he jerked his arm free." Terry rubbed his forehead, as if trying to erase the unsettling memories of that moment. "He was laughing at me the whole way down. The look on his face…"

Seeing his friend struggle for words, Kim decided he'd heard enough. "You needn't worry yourself anymore, my friend. Geese chose the unforgivable path of evil. It was justice that decided his hand."

Terry scoffed at that. "Right… justice. I wish. After it was over the city tried to nail me to the wall with homicide charges."

"What!"

"Everyone knows the history that he and I have," Terry explained. "With the Jin twins' disappearance and Andy fully unconscious, they figured there were no witnesses against the idea that I deliberately threw him over the edge."

"That's ridiculous!" Kim said, quite upset himself. "After how many times you've single-handedly saved this city and they just throw you to the wolves?"

"Again, I got lucky." Terry clarified. "Thanks to some news crew on the scene, they managed to get decent enough shots of Geese hanging against the railing, and my trying to catch him when it broke. When they realized there was evidence against their claims and that they wouldn't be able to find a jury impartial enough, they dropped the charges."

"Heh," Kim smirked. He had visited Southtown enough to know the politics of the city. "They're probably just mad that they won't be getting their bonuses this year."

Terry smirked in kind. "I hope your right, and that's _all_ there is to it." With another sigh he seemed to sink even more into his bedding. "Sometimes I don't know why I bother, Kim."

"You bother because it's the right thing to do, Terry," Kim was quick to reassure him. "That's all there is to it."

"I wish I could agree," Terry said in lament. "I don't know what to do with myself now."

"Rest," Kim commanded, "and heal. You've done enough for now. Let everyone else worry about the details."

"No… there's one more thing that I have to know," Terry half snarled, surprising Kim. "I have to know if what Geese told me has any truth to it."

"Terry… what exactly did he tell you?" Kim asked hesitantly.

"He…" Terry took a deep breath before continuing. "This doesn't leave the room, Kim. I mean it! No one else knows… _especially _not Andy."

"I will not tell a single soul," Kim promised.

With that assurance, Terry continued. "Geese… _implied _that he wasn't the only one responsible for my father's death. He claimed that Sakazaki had played a part as well."

"The Kyokugen disciple?" Kim asked, a somewhat surprised look on his face. Every fighter who considered himself halfway descent was aware of the Kyokugen Karate training dojo in Southtown, as well as the masters who ran it.

"Right." Terry was feeling more and more restless merely discussing it. "I don't know if he meant Ryo or his father, but I have to know if it's true."

"What do you intend to do?" Kim asked, more than a little worried about where this conversation was going.

"I honestly don't know. I can't think of anything else besides asking them directly. Knowing Mr. Karate though it's not going to be a walk in the park," Terry said, referring to the younger Sakazaki with his self-appointed title. "They're always hidden away in the Sarah. Finding them is going to be difficult enough, and even if I can, I doubt they'll just let me walk up to Takuma and ask."

"No doubt," Kim agreed with a concerned look on his face. "Perhaps you should try approaching them through the city gym?"

Terry shook his head. "I'm too worried that if I give them any forewarning I might never be able to find them at all. No, I'm not going to give them a chance to run from the answers. I'm going to have to be direct, no matter the consequences."


End file.
